News

EBMUD purchases Sacramento River water

New supply won't actually flow to Danville and San Ramon taps, but it does help agency avoid rationing, for now, spokeswoman says

Outfall where the aqueducts are pouring Sacramento River water into San Pablo Creek at a rate of about 90 million gallons per day. This water will flow to San Pablo Reservoir, 1.3 miles downstream. (Photo courtesy EBMUD)

As California's historic drought continues, the East Bay Municipal Utility District is tapping the Sacramento River to help its 1.3 million customers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties weather the dry spring without water rationing, district officials have announced.

For the first time, more than 5 billion gallons of drinking water will be sent via aqueduct from the Sacramento River to East Bay reservoirs to help meet EBMUD customer demand through June, district officials said at a Wednesday morning news conference next to the San Pablo Reservoir in Orinda.

The EBMUD board of directors voted last week to approve the unprecedented $8 million purchase and delivery of Sacramento River water into the San Pablo Reservoir and the Upper San Leandro Reservoir in Oakland, according to the district.

District officials say the delivery will add about a month's worth of water to EBMUD's supply.

None of the newly purchased water will reach EBMUD customers in Danville and San Ramon, but the move does have a trickle-down effect throughout the agency's entire service area, EBMUD spokeswoman Abby Figueroa said.

"Because of how the East Bay is plumbed, the Sacramento River water won't actually flow out of the taps of (users) in Danville/San Ramon, but having it available affects all of the EBMUD service area because it means we can continue asking for only a 10% voluntary cutback and not have to resort to more drastic rationing at this time," she added.

The purchase, made through a federal contract, comes after months of record-low rain and snow runoff levels prompted the district and others statewide to ask customers to cut their water usage.

According to a statement from EBMUD, customers have complied with the district's call in February to voluntarily reduce water usage by 10%.

The transfer of water from the Delta, coupled with a renewed call for customers to maintain the 10% cut in water usage, should get the district through the summer, officials said.

"The water we are purchasing reduces the immediate need for harsher cutbacks or mandatory rationing and it protects our supply from becoming unacceptably low later this year," EBMUD general manager Alexander Coate said.

"We are focused now on helping customers manage their use this summer as temperatures and water demand increases, and preparing for the possibility that this drought continues into 2015," Coate said.

If this winter's precipitation levels are as dismal as last winter's, the district will have the option of enacting mandatory rationing, increasing voluntary customer cutbacks or purchasing more water from the Delta.

District officials say acquiring the Delta water supply was made possible partly by EBMUD ratepayers' nearly half-billion-dollar investment in the Freeport Water Facility, which includes a water intake on the Delta, 36 miles of pipelines and two water-pumping plants.

EBMUD officials said the district is paying for the $8 million supply with proceeds from the sale of a Castro Valley property and budget savings.

Posted by Roz Rogoff
a resident of San Ramon
on May 3, 2014 at 7:10 pm

San Ramon and Danville are lucky we are not getting Sacramento River water. The snowpack runoff from EBMUD is the purest water in this region. Dublin and Dougherty Valley get Delta water from Zone 7, which is hard and has a funny taste. It is safe to drink but not as pleasant as EBMUD water

Yes, you're right Roz. I'm amazed at HOW MANY don't realize our water source has been the Molekeme river for years. Zone 7 water IS, well, not very palatable. While I applaud the work EBMUD has been doing in water conservation, we're walking a hugely fine line with a couple of new developments further impacting water supplies (-the TH complex around Norris canyon - but really, the LARGER Faria development coming our way. Unfortunately, NOT scaled down like it needs to be due to both water resources AND emergency services) And the "beat" goes on...Some relief on the horizon with El Nino approaching, but I sure wouldn't "bank" on that. Los Vaqueros really does need to expand, sooner than later.

Posted by C. R. Mudgeon
a resident of Danville
on May 5, 2014 at 9:43 am

Reading between the lines, it seems likely that the San Pablo (local) reservoir was low (providing water for towns in that part of the district, including where I work), whereas the Pardee and Comanche reservoirs on the Mokelumne have a pretty good level.

San Pablo reservoir water has never seemed quite as good-tasting as the Sierra snow melt from Pardee/Comanche - we in Danville and nearby are lucky to be fed from Pardee/Comanche.

This map doesn't really show the full routing of water, and which areas of the district get water from the various sources, but you can get a rough idea:

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